On Friday, Russell said he wouldn't talk about his personal life, but noted his one-game absence was a good mental break.

“I didn’t show up yesterday, I was watching the game on TV, felt sad,” he said before Friday’s game against the Rockies. “This is what I do, this is what I love, I love being here in this clubhouse with the boys, having fun. This is my home.”

Russell was not in the starting lineup on Friday, but said he’d be available off the bench if needed.

“I talked to him a little bit last night and he was, he sounded like he was in a good place, so we wanted to continue that,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s here today, I know he met with you guys, he’s handled himself extremely well so we’ll just treat him normally and get him back on the field.”

Prior to the allegations, which were made late Wednesday night, Russell was mired in a 1-for-14 slump over his last seven games, essentially splitting time with Javy Baez at shortstop.

Russell said his personal life — there were social media hints that he was having problems with his wife going back to late April — has had no effect on his play of late.

“No,” he said. “There’s periods of times where you’re struggling, you’re scuffling, and sometimes you stink. I know that being young in the major leagues is going to come with a lot of adversity, but I’m here for a reason. It’s because I’m good.”

On Thursday, the Cubs expressed measured support for Russell while refraining from making any judgements about the allegations.

“They’ve been there for me every step of the way,” Russell said of the organization. “They’ve given me the chance to sort out the things I need to sort out, and all the things I need as far as stabilization. I think it’s right here, so they’ve handled it great.”

There were no updates on the status of Major League Baseball’s inquiry into the situation on Friday, so for now, Russell is focusing on baseball and taking things day by day, whether he’s in the lineup or not.

“I’m here to stay,” he said. “This is my job. This is what I love doing.”